It’s good to know that when there isn't a minute to lose the Wiltshire Air Ambulance is on your side.

Wiltshire’s Air Ambulance was established in April 1990 as a joint venture between the Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Wiltshire Constabulary. The Air Ambulance side of the project is funded through the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal which is as a registered charity. Since its launch 15 years ago the Air Ambulance has attended thousands of incidents, providing an essential emergency medical service throughout the County. The Air Ambulance is entirely dependent public support and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal has to raise over £350,000 each year to cover a quarter of the running costs of the helicopter. The Air Ambulance receives NO government funding, nor does it qualify for grants from the National Lottery.

Last year it flew 428 missions providing a vital life-saving link in pre-hospital care. Often accidents and illnesses happen where access is difficult and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance overcomes problems of distance or congestion, enabling the life saving skills of the paramedic to be provided wherever needed. The Air Ambulance can take the seriously injured to the most suitable treatment centre, quickly and safely and it can reach any part of the county within 10 minutes. It can reach any major trauma centre within 15 minutes. Almost half of the incidents the Air Ambulance attends are road traffic accidents. The other major types of incidents it flies to are medical emergencies, horse riding accidents, sporting injuries, farm accidents, fires and burns. However this is not an exhaustive list of the types of incidents the Air Ambulance attends.

When there isn’t a minute to lose it’s good to know the Wiltshire Air Ambulance is on your side. Here is just one of the hundreds of incidents they have attended. In east Wiltshire a man fell 30 feet into a grain silo. He sustained severe head injuries and a fractured elbow. Specialist climbers and the Wiltshire Fire Brigade helped the crew get him into the helicopter and he was then airlifted to Great Western Hospital, Swindon. He has since made a full recovery.

There are so many ways in which individuals and companies can help support the work of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal. If you would like to find out more about the work of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal please contact the Appeal’s Fundraising Coordinator Tracey Edwards on 01380 739453 or 07970 920 414.

Real Lives …. Real People … YOU can make a REAL difference

Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, Air Support Unit, Police Headquarters, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN. Telephone 01380 739 453 or 07970 920 414 or log on to www.wiltshireairambulance.co.uk. Registered Charity No: 1043628